Culture Change Workshop: Dutchcare

I learned so much with this wonderful team of formal and informal leaders of an aged care facility.   Petra Neeleman, the CEO, had kindly educated me a bit before the workshop, as we’re all students of the culture of aging. I think you’ll enjoy reading a few excerpts from facts Petra pulled together. I've put her comments in the standard grey and mine in this black so you can tell which is which.

The Dutch Experience in Victoria

Although there have been Dutch migrants in Australia since the early 19th century it is not until 1950 that Australia adopted the slogan "populate or perish". The Netherlands encouraged its citizens to consider migration following the Second World War, with fears of overcrowding and another war with Russia.  As a result, there are about 85000 Dutch in Australia.

The Dutch have settled in many countries around the world and always melded themselves around the local communities.  We were known  as the "invisible Dutch". We quickly learned the language and the customs and looked like Anglo-Celtics.   We did not stick together or even stay in the cities. We were here to build a new life.

We left behind loved ones, family, friends, familiarity, and a society full of traditions, history and a warmth and sense of belonging we call gezelligheid.

Our community in Victoria stayed in touch through the Dutch clubs which organised balls, dances, card and film nights and of course St Nicholaas events for the kids.  But generally speaking this reached only about 20% of the Dutch in Victoria, the rest often content to be away from their country-folk.  The Dutch clubs formed an association and it was this group who would later take the lead in looking at our aged care issues.

Dutch here in Victoria are an aged community. The Dutch population clearly shows a peak at those born in 1955-59.  This 45-49 years group  is actually in the youngest 25% of our population.

Dutch specific services best suit the Dutch aged.  English language loss and language reversal is high among older migrants. Research shows that anyone learning a second language after the age of 12 can revert to their first language in times of stress or illness or simply as a result of the aging process.  I cannot stress the importance of language in providing care. Without a means of communication there is no point in living and many ethnic elders are doomed to being classified as difficult and with inappropriate behaviours when they are merely trying to communicate.

So how are we different? The Dutch word – gezelligheid – (cosiness, atmosphere, sharing, and company) was an important building block. People wanted the choice of communicating in either Dutch or English. They wanted traditional meals, the Dutch level of cleanliness that included vacuuming under furniture and washing windows. They wanted to share their last years reminiscing with others that understood the trauma of the wars in the Netherlands and the migration experience. To share with those who knew what it was like to leave your parents to follow your husband in his dream and now that he is no longer there, having to stay in what you have always called your new land but not your home because you cannot leave your children and your homeland has become alien to you.

DutchCare emphasizes providing ethnic specific services to the Dutch.  Staff, residents and volunteers generally speak Dutch to each other.  Dutch meals are cooked, Dutch games are played, Dutch music is listened to, and generally the recipients are more Dutch than those left behind in the Netherlands of the 1950’s.

Wow!  It makes me want to get in touch with my Polish heritage!  How many people here in the US are being cared for by people they can not communicate with.  What are we doing to communicate with frail elders who have reverted to a language that we can not speak?  Email me and let me know.  

My childhood memories of my grandma were of a quiet shadow, rocking in the kitchen, but (thank God) still baking the most delicious raisin bread.  She had reverted to speaking Polish, but to speed up our assimilation we had been raised to speak only English.   But at least she felt safe and loved and so did we. I can still smell that bread – I only wish I had the recipe.

Here’s a little more from Dutchcare – what they’re achieving in their aged care community.  In Australia, and at Dutchcare, they have high care and low care.  As you might guess, high care is like our skilled nursing homes, low care is assisted living.  At Dutchcare they are very serious about the Eden Alternative – here’s what their staff shared about their journey:

We’re doing a lot to change the culture here.  Our residents now have more choices. They can sleep in and stay up as late as they want, they have choices of what to eat, where to eat. If they want to share with someone else in another room, that’s okay too.  Staff will ask, when they get somebody up out of bed, "would you like a tea or coffee?" They can sit in their pajamas and sip a cup while watching Dutch news on satellite, and then come to breakfast when they’re ready.



We have permanent staffing, and the staff know the residents they work with.   Staff share their own stories, too. And, you can be sure, there’s lots of wise advice for them.  If you don’t have babysitter, just bring them in. We started it very informally and now we even have a school holiday program.  We all share roles, even if we work in the office.  We have crossed boundaries everywhere.  Many of our homemakers (cross of housekeepers and dietary) are PCAs as well.  It’s a home, and if you’re at home you do a lot of things, don’t you? You’re doing multiple tasks all the time.  I like helping people get out of bed, and having a laugh or giggle.

The residents too.  Many of them look to help in lots of ways.  Residents help with the cleaning of the bird cage, set the table, help each other.  We have one guy who constantly helps set the table.   He has a good idea of when people are going to come down for breakfast and gets their table ready, he anticipates their needs.  He can still get out and loves to shop for others.  People are always giving him their lists.  
                
Read more about Dutchcare, their philosophy and stories, by clicking here.